Needling machine



' 4:, 193@. c CHASE 1,745,739

' NEEDLING MACHINE Filed March 5% 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 6L I 11M 7 7763 Feb. 4, 1930. c. H. CHASE NEEDLING MACHINE c. H. CHASE 1,745,739

NEEDLING MACHINE Feb, 4, 1 93G.

Filed March 8, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 4,1930. c. H. CHASE NEEDLING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ugml - c I I It L l I l I I C I! Patented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE CHARLES H. CHASE, OF STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 CAIRO CLOTH CORPORATION, OF CAROLINA, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE NEEDLING MACHINE Application filed March 8, 1927. Serial-No. 173,767.-.

My present invention relates to textile machinery, and more particularly to an improved needling machine for needling textile fibres through and incorporating the same therewith a base fabric and the fibres themselves. 1

In the application of Patrick H. Walsh, Serial No. 64,486, filed October 24, 1925, for textile fibres and method of making same, there is disclosed and claimed, the improved method of incorporating textile fibres of a bat or web with a base fabric by needling the fibres of such hat or web through the base fabric and incorporating the same not only with a'base fabric but with the fibres themselves, and the present invention is to be con sidered an improved. machine for carrying out the process claimed in the Walsh application, above referred to, and also for manufacturing the fabric therein claimed as an article.

In practicing theimproved method and producing the improved article described and claimed in the Walsh a plication above referred to, considerable ifliculty was experi enced in forcing the fibres constituting the .bat or web through the base fabric and produce'an even texture in the resulting article. The present invention is designed to overcome the difliculties experienced in this regard, and in carrying out my invention I have produced a needling device comprising essentially a plurality of needle holders each having more than one row of needles, and a plurality of such needle carrying devices are mounted in alinement with each other and for reciprocation in a vertical plane in any I desired order. That is, there being a plurality of reciprocating needle holders, such needle holders may be grouped in pairs or in combinations of any number desired, or may be each operated separately.

An important feature of the invention resides in the means whereby, in addition to the reciprocatory movement in a vertical plane given to the needles and the needle holders, there is imparted thereto and simultaneously ftherewith, a reciprocatory movement in a horizontal plane, the speed of such movement being in timed relation to the feed of of the clamping member of the needle bar,

the base fabric across the plane of movement ,of the needles. 1

Another important feature of my invention is the improved needle'carrying head and in which the plurality of needles may be easily and accurately assembled.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention, I

Fig. '1 is a plan view; h Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section;

Fig.3 is a sectional side elevation;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper and of the-left-hand end of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan, and Fig. 7 a front elevation of one of the needling bars; b Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the needling Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view on the line 101O of Fig. 9; Y Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the needling bar;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a portion and Fig. 13 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the needles.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates base bars on which are formed uprights 11, there being uprights 11 for each base bar 10. 85 such uprights being spaced apart from each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and are tied together at their top by bars 12. These bars 12 are secured to the uprights 11 by bolts 13. The base bars 10 are adapted to be secured to a framework 14 in any manner, preferably by means of bolts 15. The base bars 10 are spaced apart from each other and are held in spaced relation by the bolts 15, engaging through the same into the frame 14 and also by means of a channel plate or bar 16. Mounted on top of the channel bar 16, at each end thereof, are alined bearings '17, such bearings being secured in position on the channel bars 16 and the channel bars which the shaft may be rotated from either side of the machine. Adjacent each of the bearings 17 and secured to the shaft 20 are bevelled pinions 22, each pinion meshing witha bevel gear 23, which bevel gears 23 are secured to a shaft 24 rotatably mounted in bearings 25- formed on the cross bar 12. The lower end of the shafts 20 are threaded, as indicated at 26. l

The uprights 11 are spaced apart from each other, as above described, and the opposing faces are parallel with each other and constitute vertically arranged spaced slides. In each pair of uprights 11 there is slidably mounted a framework 27, such framework comprising substantially a U- shaped member, as viewed in Fig. 3. 0n the cross portion of the U, is formed an in wardly extending member 28 carrying an internally threaded 'member 29 that engages with the threaded portion 26 of the screw- 24. By rotating the shaft 20, the shafts 24 are rotated simultaneously and in the same direction and will, therefore, cause anupward or downward movement of the U-shaped frame 27 in the slides formed by the parallel faces of the uprights 11. Secured to the inner faces of the U-shaped members 27 are-channel bars 30, and secured to the upper faces of the channel bars 30, which faces are in alinement with each other, are bearings 32, these bearings being in alinement with each other. Rotatably mounted in the bearings 32 is a multi-throw crank shaft 33. For convenience, the number of throws in the crank 33 is twelve, and also for convenience as well as for the purpose of balancing the device, such throws are arranged in pairs, and referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the two outer throws from each end are arranged in pairs, then the next two throws from each end, and finally the inner two pairs of throws are so arranged. Secured to the bottom faces of the channel bars 30 by bolts 34, are cylindrical guides 35 and 36, the guides 35 being single guides, as shown in Fig. 2, while the other guides 36 are double guides. The guides 35 and 36 are in alinement with the throws of the crank shaft 33 and slidably mounted in each of the cylindrical guides is a cylindricalv crosshead 37, each crosshead in turn being provided with a wrist pin 38. Rotatably mounted on each throw of the crank shaft 33 is one end of a connecting rod 39, the other end of each of the connecting rods 39 being rotatably mounted on the wrist pins 38.. Obviously, therefore, from he above description, it will be apparent that a rotary movementof the crank shaft 33 will, thru the connecting rods 39, cause a reciprocatory' wardly therefrom, is a. member 40. Refer-.

ring to'the description above with regard to the division or collection of the throws of the crank shaft in pairs, and referring now particularly to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the-two outer connecting rods 39, form a pair and, therefore, that the wrist pins 38 of this pair reciprocate in unison and, therefore, and obviously, the members 40 will move in unison; ,Secured to the lower end of the members 40' is a needle bar 41, this needle bar being provided with a horizontally arranged and downwardly depending web 42, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The manner in which the needles are carried by the bar 41 and the construction of such needles' and the sub-carrying .members therefor will be described in detail hereafter.

, Secured to the multi-throw crank shaft 33, adjacent one end thereof, is a sprocket 43 which is an alinement with a sprocket 44 secured to a shaft 45, which shaft is rotatably mounted in bearings 46 secured to one of the channel bars 30 in any suitable manner. Over the sprockets 43 and 44 runs a sprocket chain 47 and by means of which power is transmitted from the multi-throw crank shaft 33 to the shaft 45. Secured to one end of the multi-throw crank shaft 33 is a sprocket 48, over which may pass a chain or other suitable means for transmittingpower to the crank shaft 33 from any source of power. Secured to the lower end of thechannel bar 30, to which is attached the bearings 46, are

bearing brackets 49, such bearing brackets being provided with bearings 50. The bear ings 50 are in alinement with each other, and I rotatably mounted in such bearings is a shaft ,51, this shaft lying parallel to but spaced apart from the multi-throw crank shaft 33.

Secured to the shaft 45 at the end remotefrom the sprocket 44, is a sprocket 52, which is in alinement with a sprocket 53, secured to a shaft 51, and over the sprockets '52 and 53 runs a sprocket chain'54, and by means of which power is transmitted from the shaft 45 to the shaft 51. Secured to the shaft 51 in any, suitable .manner are cam plates 55, such cam platesv being provided on one face thereof with a recessed camrace 56 of propergoontour, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. There is a cam plate 55 for each of the downwardly depending members 40. Rotatably mounted on the'shaft 51, adjacent each of the cam plates 55, is a bearing member 5.7, the outer contour of which is such that the opposite faces are parallel, as

clearly shown inFig. 3. Slidably mounted on the bearing members '57, is the U-shaped:

end 58 of a member 59, andsuch member 59 is provided with a cam roller 60, which engages in the cam race 56. 'Adjustably secured t9 each of the members 40, adjacent the lower end thereof, is a member 61, and to each member 61 is pivotally attached the end of one of the members 59. It is obvious from the above description that if the shaft 51 is rotated, that the members 59,'by reason of the fact that the cam roller 60 engages in the cam race 56, will impart to the member 59 a reciprocating motion measured from left to right in Fig. 3, and that such motion will be imparted to the lower end of the member 40, which, as above described, is pivotally or rotatably mounted on the wrist pin 38. Therefore, any mechanism, as the needle bar or mechanism carried by such bar 41, will be given a reciprocating motion, which reciprocating motion would be in a substantially horizontal plane or in a cylinder of which the axis of the wrist pins 38 is a center, if the wrist pins 38 were stationary. -Because of the fact, however, that the' wrist pins 38 have a reciprocatory motion in a vertical 'plan'e, and such reciprocating motion takes place simultaneously with the oscillating movement of the member 59, the members 40 and, therefore, the needle bars 41 will be given a movement in a closed path, it being understood that the rotation of the multithrow crankshaft 33 and the shaft 51 are so proportioned as to have a complete oscillatory movement given to the member 59 for each complete reciprocating motion given to the wrist pins 38. Also the speed oftravel of the base fabric 90, to which it is desired to needle the fibres of the web or bat, is equal to the transverse speed of the needle bar caused by the member 59. The needles carried by' the needle bar, therefore, enter the base fabric carrying the fibres of the bat" or web therewith and move along with the base fabric during the entering and retracting movement, this being accomplished'without drag on either the part of the needles or the base fabric. The base-,fabric 90 is fed through the machine by any suitable feeding. device, such as indicated at 91 in Fig. 3,

this feeding device moving the base fabric in a plane transversely to the movement of the banks of needles 67.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive,

' there are shown on 42, two needle carriers, each of which comprises a plate 65 equal in length to the needle bar 41 and being provided on its lower end with a recessed portion 66, in which is placed a plurality of parallelly arranged needles 67. Associated with each plate 65 is a cover plate 68 to the lower inner a0 face of which is attached by screws 69 a plate 70, the inner surface of this plate 70 being provided with a plurality of parallelly arranged vertical grooves or serrations 71, in which fits the shank of the needles 67 and 65 which grooves or serrations 71 serve to :10-

curately position and hold the needles. One

of the plates 68, as for example the right hand plate shown in'Figs. 8 and 9, has secured thereto by riveting, or in any other suitable manner, shafts 72, which shafts pass throu h as a sliding fit alined perforations in t e plates 65, the web 42 and the other plate 68, such shafts 72 'being provided at the end remote from the first said plate 68, with an annular recess 73 for a purpose to be hereinafter dewribed. The plates 68 are attached to the plates by bolts 7 4.

The plates 65 on-the left-hand side of the web 42, as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9, are identical with the plates 65 on the right-hand side thereof, as are also the plates 68 carrying the serrated member and in this instance also such serrated member. 70 is attached to the plate 68 by screws 69. Also this plate 68 is attached'to the plate 65 by bolts 74. Associated with the left-hand plate 68, however, is a plate 75, the ends of which are arranged at right angles to the main portion thereof, as indicated at 76. This plate is provided with a plurality of slots 77 which engage with screws 78 that are screwed into the plates 68 and which screws limit the movement of plates 75 longitudinally with respect to the plates 68. This plate 5 is also provided with slots or perforations 79 that act as clearance spaces for the heads of the bolts 74. Also the plate 75 is provided with a plurality of alined perforations 80, large enough at one endto clear the main body of the shaft 72' and small enough at the other end to engage with the annular recess 73, of such shafts 72. Further, the metal surrounding the reduced end ofthe slot 80 is tapered, as shown at 81, and which acts when the plate 75 is moved from right to left, as viewed in Figs. 6, 7

and 10, to exert a pulling strain on the bolts 72 and, therefore, this mechanism acts as a means for rigidly clamping both the needle bar assemblies onto the web 42. The plate 75 is also provided with a slot 82, through which passes as a sliding fit a stud 83 screwed into the left-hand plate 68, as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9. The outer end of this stud 83 is threaded at 84 to receive a lock nut 85 and which may be utilized to clamp the plate 75 in adjusted position on the plate 68. The needles 67 on theleft-hand assembly of the needle carrier are ,so arranged with respect to the needles 67 on the right-hand needle carrier as to be in staggered relation therewith so that if the needles 67 on the carriers are arranged apart, such assemblage of needles will produce a needling operation in which the fibres will be needled into andtend to allowsliding movement between the various needle bars 41, as will be obvious from an inspection of Fi 2.

The operation of my improved machine "is as follows, it being assumed that the machine has been constructed as above described, and that a suitable base fabric is being fed transversely of the reciprocatory motion of .the needles 67. Under these conditions and assuming further that on the base fabric is placed a web of fleece or a plurality of superimposed webs of fleeces, and that such base fabric with the superimposed web or webs of fleece thereon is being moved at the proper speedand power being turned intothe machine by means of the sprocket 48 from any suitable source of power, the gangs of needles carried by the bars 41 reciprocate in the order and in .the manner above described.

Referring to Fig. 2 and assuming that the two other gangs of needles 67 are passing through the base fabric earry-ing certain of the fibres of the web of fleece therewith, and assuming also that the shaft 51 is rotating at the proper speed, the onward movement of the base fabric and superimposed web of fleece will be matched exactly by the onward movement of the needles 67 caused by thecam roller 60 engaging with the cam race 56, and.

that after such needles have reached their lowest downward position, that they will be withdrawn by rotation of thecrank shaft 33 and will be further carried in synchronism I with the base fabric until the needles 67 are clear of the webs of fleece and base fabric.

- While I have necessarily shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that'I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts within relatively wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: I

1. An improved needling machine of the kind described, comprising a. plurality of ,banks ofneedles, said banks being-arranged end to end, and means for reciprocating said banks in predetermined groups.

2. An improvedv needling machine of the kind described, comprising a plurality of banks of needles, said banks being arranged end to end, and means for reciprocating said kind described, comprising a plurality of banks in groups of any desired order.

3. An' improved needling machine of the -.kind described comprising a plurality of banks of needles arranged end to end, and means for reciprocating said banks of needles in a vertical plane in any desired grouping,

and'in any desired order.

banks, and means for feeding abase fabrictransversely of the plane of motion of the needles.

7..A n improved needling machine of the kind described comprising a plurality of banks of needles arranged end to end, means for reciprocating said banks in predetermined groups, means for feeding a base fabric transversely of the plane of motion of the needles and in synchronism therewith.

8. An improved needling machine of the kind described comprising a plurality of banks of needles arranged end to end, means for reciprocating "said banks in groups, and means for feeding a base fabric transversely of the plane of motion of the needles.

v 9. An improved needling machine of the kind described, comprising a plurality of banks of needles arranged end to end, means desired order, and means for feeding a base fabric transversely of the plane of motion of the needles. I

10. A needling machine comprising means for feeding a base fabric lengthwise of the machine, a plurality of banks of needles arranged end to end and extending transversely of the machine, and means for reciprocating said banks of needles in groups.

-11. A needling machine comprising means for feeding a base fabric lengthwise of the machine, a plurality of banks of needles. arranged end to end and extending transversely of the machine, and means for reciprocating said banks of needles in groups, the groups of banks being arranged in balanced relation with respect to each other.

12. A needling machine comprising means for feeding material lengthwise of the machine, a plurality ofbanks of needles arranged end to end, and running transversely of the machine, means for reciprocating the banks of needles in groups, and means for moving the needles lengthwise of the machine at the same speed of travel as the material and simultaneously with the re-Jf ciprocation of the needles.

- 13. A needling machine including a needling element divided into a plurality of separate banks of needles arranged transversely of the machine, and each bank extending over a portion only of the width of the machine, and means for operating said banks successively to cause the needles in one bank to penetrate the fabric to be needled at a diffor reciprocating said banks in groupsof any ly adjacent bank. a 7 14.- A needling machine including a pluralit-y of separatebanks of needles arranged ferent time from the needles in a transverse v transversely of the machine, means for 0 erating. said banks successively to cause t e needles in one" bank to penetrate the fabric at a difier'ent time, from those in-a trans rersely' adjacent bank. 4

' 15. A needling machine, inclildinga plurality of separate banks of needles arranged transversely of the machine, means for operating said banks successively to causethe needles in one bank to penetrate the fabric 4 at adifferent time from those, in a transverse-Q lyadjacent bank; said banks of needles being in-balanced relation to each other. i In testimcny whereof, I have signed my name to this specificatio 221' k CHARLES H. CHASE. 

